"No one was listening to a single word. Because we were all staring at the top of George Osborne’s head," former Labour Party and GMB trade union official, Dan Hodges wrote in the Telegraph.

Describing the new haircut, Mr Hodges wrote: "Imagine if you woke up and all your hair had mysteriously fallen forward. Think of those pictures you’ve seen of iron filings being attracted towards a magnet. The Chancellor's hair appeared to have become magnetised."

The Chancellor joked that the brushed-forward image, described by Guido Fawkes as a "boyish pudding bowl cut," as an extension of his economic policy - because he had "turned it round to stop the recession".

In a highly personal appearance at Tory conference, Mr Osborne also explained why he cried at Margaret Thatcher's funeral, described his efforts to maintain a normal family life while living in Downing Street, and revealed that his parents had voted for Labour and the Liberals.